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1. Hope Abandoned
Matthew 1:18 (NLT), This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
• Matthew begins his Christmas narrative with Jesus, the Messiah, and the power of the Holy Spirt and a miracle pregnancy!
• But what about Joseph?
• The story begins for him with disgrace and divorce on his mind!
• Isn’t it interesting how the same event, involving the same people, can be viewed so completely opposite?
• In the same circumstance, one views great hope from God and another sees no hope at all!
• Joseph viewed Mary as an adulterer, and a liar (everyone knows, virgins don’t get pregnant!).
• Joseph had three options for Mary’s supposed unfaithfulness. Stoning was an option (but Joseph would not pursue that and it was not common). Second, divorce papers could be brought before a judge in court, bringing public shame. Third, a private divorce could be done with two witnesses between the families (with no judge involved).
Question: How often to our feelings and our interpretations lead us astray from what God is really doing?
2. Hope Asleep
Matthew 1:20, As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
• The angel of the LORD brings Joseph a message from the LORD about the LORD!
• Before Joseph went to bed, his righteous plan was to divorce Mary. But, God put Joseph asleep and revealed to him another plan – a plan beyond anything Joseph could even think or imagine.
• Like Abraham, God put Joseph asleep so he could receive what God had promised him.
• Someone even said, “Sleep is an act of faith.” When we sleep, God is working, and we are not. And in many cases, that’s called progress!
Question: How often do our plans get in the way of God's?
3. Hope Awakes
Matthew 1:24, “When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.”
• Joseph goes woke!
• But being awakened by the Lord means you have become aware of God’s grace and His plan for you, and you are actively seeking with new power to do His will.
• It’s a great place to be when hope awakes!
• Joseph wakes up, obeys the Lord, cancels the divorce papers, takes Mary as his wife, and names the child, Jesus.
• Daniel Darling, Joseph was a man of few words. We don’t know much about him at all. But we do know he was a man of simple faithfulness. He did the next right thing in front of him. So much of following God is asking, “What is the next right move?”
• We have no recorded words from Joseph. All we have is his record of obedience.
• God led Joseph and Mary through an unplanned (miracle) pregnancy, probably leading to an unplanned (quick) wedding, followed by a two-year unplanned honeymoon to Egypt and back (see the rest of chapter 2).
CONCLUSION
• Psalm 16:7-8 (NLT), I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
1. Like Joseph, we should trust the Lord to guide us, even at night when we sleep.
2. Like Joseph, we should not be afraid of doing the Lord’s will.
3. Like Joseph, when God doesn’t tell us what the next step is, or why, we should remember He is still Immanuel - God with us.
Recommended book: The Characters of Christmas by Daniel Darling.
